Chessells in Africa:

Well our adventure is almost over!. We are in Dubai tonight with an early pickup in the morning to be home Wednesday morning.
What an amazing time we have had!  So sad to leave family but excited to be coming home and connecting with family & friends.
Yesterday we drove to Kampala from Jinja--you really have to experience this city to understand it. The crowds of people walking, riding, meandering all over the street together with cows and goats,the smells and sounds of people, motor bikes, trucks, taxis, the chaotic traffic where anything goes-no road rules here first in or biggest wins. I can't tell you how many near misses we saw.
All in all we were delighted to reach our destination after 3 hours which is a real oasis in the middle of the chaos.
I forgot to mention the police checks along the way. Any car can be stopped and inspected any number of times. At the shopping centre we had to get out of the car at the entrance to the car park and be scanned by a metal detector.  Security is everywhere! Men with guns are everywhere!  Going to the airport this morning took us an extra hour just to get through the security which begins on the road into the airport-more traffic jams. We are about to crash into bed now.
See you soon!

Chessells in Africa:

Packing our bags once again for a 9am start in the morning. We have a 3 hour taxi ride to Kampala where we will spend our last night with the family.  Crying as I write this!
Today we visited Care 4 Kids and met up with all the beautiful people that Janina talks about--a very impressive facility for 65 children.  The staff are lovely and the children delightful. Met the Pooles at Surgios pool for a play before lunch. Late afternoon we were invited upstairs to Surge & Denine's home for coffee and cake. Jas had helped their 2 daughters to make a delicious chocolate cake.  On chatting with Denine I discovered that she had worked with Katie ('Kisses for Kate' fame). Denine manages a home for abandoned babies.
We topped our Jinja experience with Pizza and Mango Smoothies at a restaurant in town.  The whole meal cost us about 60,000 shillings.  It is hard getting one's mind around the money here as everything is in thousands.

Chessells in Africa:

25th oct

It was decided that we should cross Lake Victoria today and visit the Kingfisher Resort where their is a swimming pool and playground so Linda called Joel our Banana Boat skipper and he picked us up down by the lake.  To get to his boat we have to walk through a little fishing village right on the lake,  It is fascinating to see the conditions people are prepared to live in.  Joel decided that we should tour around the fish farm on the other side of the lake before going to the resort.  We were so glad he did as we saw so much bird life it was great.
At the resort we enjoyed several hours in the pool, some lunch and a restful day.  As we were finishing our swim a school group of African children arrived for a swim.  They were fairly young children.  The dropped their bags and just ran to the baby pool & jumped in.  It was like a washing machine the water swirling so much.  The teacher said these were privileged chn to be allowed this activity.
Soon after we headed back across the lake. At the fishing village we arrived in time to see the catch of the day - several huge Nile Perch just dumped on the ground from where they were sold.  This afternoon is a little cooler so the children aree out playing & Linda is cooking a curry for dinner.
Tomorrow we are heading to the Care for Kids orphanage that Janina is involved with.

So many birds on the Lake

Kingfisher Resort

Local school children in for a swim

Chessells in Africa

Life gets slower and slower for us. Today was hot!  Linda and I wandered into town(15mins walk) for a coffee.  Very enjoyable!  The rest of the family played a few games before heading off to the pool where Linda & I joined them on our return,
This afternoon we slept, read, played computer games and hung around and then Linda & Graham went out for dinner while the children.nanny & Poppy had dinner together.  Children all in bed now and I won't be far behind them.

Chessells in Africa:

We all had a bit of a sleep in this morning!
After brekky Linda & Graham went into town for more shopping & the children went for a swim.  Keith also went in for a swim while I watched. After lunch we had a lazy afternoon and at 4:30pm wandered down the road to a little fishing village on the banks of Lake Victoria where we were met by Joel for our Banana boat cruise. We watched fishermen casting their nets with great skill. The bird life along the Nile is incredible.  Birds of all sizes live & fish on the river.
We also went to the disputed source of the Nile=a tourist attraction in the middle of the river.  I guess tourists will believe almost anything they are told.  We were hoping to see a beautiful sunset as the afternoon was very sunny. However the sky became overcast so the sunset was lost but we really enjoyed our cruise along the river till after dark. As the sun sets the fishing boats take to the river with their lanterns. Apparently the lanterns attract the insects which in turn attract the fish and make a great sight with all the lanterns bobbing on the water.  Tired children by the time we walked back up the hill to the guest house.  All in bed now!  I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

what a treat! Icecream! Blessing from a kind Australian friend.

Dinner together.

What more could kids want?

Chessells in Africa:

21-22nd Oct

Paara lodge in Uganda was great with wonderful buffet meals so we could all eat what we liked. An amazing array of food much to the children’s delight.  Unfortunately our last day there Linda & Keith were feeling a little seedy.  The Murchison falls are magnificent both from the bottom & the top and then to top it off we were able to fly over them as we left.  Our wonderful pilot, Dallas, kindly gave us that experience.  It is so great flying with MAF as the pilot prays before every flight.                  After an hours flight we touched down at Jinja airport where we were met by taxi to take us to our accommodation which is fantastic.  Linda’s delight was to have a washing machine. I think she has done 2 loads already—a real luxury as all washing in Yei is done by hand.  Tonight we had Pizza for dinner @ Surgios Pizzaria, also owned by the guy who owns where we are staying.  Jinja is one of the larger cities in Uganda situated on Lake Victoria.  As we wandered home tonight we could see the lights of all the fishing boats on the lake-a very pretty sight.  It is a little cooler here so we look forward to a good night sleep under our mossy nets.                                                                                  We have been waiting for the internet connection to work.  Today, Tues, we walked into Jinja town and did some shopping.  So many little tiny shops packed to the rafters with crafts.  When we had had enough we stopped at a café for a cold drink.  Would you believe it the shop was owned by an Aussie from Tassie.  Linda had met her last time she was in Jinja so we had a great chat. Sue's experiences in Uganda are something to hear.  She came here to help with church work and several years and jobs later she is running the café. Sue would be about my age.  Afterwards we caught bodas back to the guesthouse--a neat way to move about.  We are getting better at riding without holding on and holding our purchases.  One needs to be careful not to be ripped off by the drivers especially if you are white and a tourist.  This afternoon we will probably have a rest(Keith is asleep already.)   The boys are out playing(there is a sandpit here and the young son of Surgo who lives upstairs is with them, Ideal!!) Jas is reading and Linda & Graham are resting.Guesthouse in Jinja 

Jinja town

Chessells in Africa:

20^th October

We celebrated Linda’s Birthday yesterday(happy B/D Maryanne) by rising at 6am for an early morning safari to take in the animals of the savannah in their natural habitat. After lunch we took a river cruise to the bottom of Murchison Falls.  Amazing wildlife along the banks made the 2 hours go quickly. As we were cruising we watched the cloud cover coming—thank you God—which certainly made our walk so much easier.  We disembarked The African Queen and proceeded to the top of the falls-amazing scenes on the way.  The worst part was the drive back to the lodge as we were wet from the humidity and we had to keep the windows of the van shut due to TseTse flies which were prolific in the area. Back at the lodge we showered and had a leisurely dinner finished with a birthday cake for Linda, organised by Ronald our guide.  A full and satisfying day!  Today we are enjoying a quiet morning by the pool before a late afternoon game drive. Apart from a few dizzy periods I am much improved and looking forward to a restful morning.

Late afternoon game drive was a little disappointing but we have been very blessed so far so no complaining.

Chessells in Africa:

Fri 18^th Oct

So much can happen in a day when you expect the unexpected! God’s creation is so wonderful. Thurs we flew MAF with pilot Simon from Yei to Arua.  It was quite strange sitting at Yei airport waiting for our plane as we were the only ones flying and the airport is in the middle of nowhere.  The MAF flight has been known to be several hours late depending on their schedule. Fortunately for us it was only 10 mins late. On arrival at Arua, Uganda, just the 7 of us, our bags were thoroughly searched on a table outside, our passports stamped and then the wait for a taxi big enough to fit us all..  That afternoon after settling in our accom we took a “boda” ride into town.  These guys are amazingly good at dodging the potholes in the road.  One really needs to hang on well.  In town we were shocked by the busyness of this little town-even busier than Yei.  Crossing the road was a real dare devil experience.  A malk through the markets is a must.  They go on for ever with anything and everything.  Very hot, humid and stifling.  Back home on a boda.                                                                                                 This morning we were picked up by our guide, Ronald & driver Osmund, for the next part of our holiday—game park visit. After a 2 hour drive we arrived at Murchison National Park where the top of the vehicle was lifted and we got to stand with our heads looking out the top. To our amazement within minutes we saw giraffes, antelopes, water buffalo, wart hogs  & Elephants.  On arrival at the Lodge we were given a 3 course meal and for the rest of the afternoon we hung out around the pool. Our accom here is right on the banks of the River Nile and from our balcony we can watch it flow by.  The food here is amazing which is great for the Pooles who have had limited meals for the past 6 months. We have been warned not to wander at night. Tomorrow we will take an early morning game drive followed be a cruise to the bottom of the falls and a hike up to the top of the falls.            If you don’t here from me tomorrow I may not have made it back. I am praying for an overcast day.

Chessells in Africa:

Thanks for praying! I am feeling so much better tonight. Graham gave me some meds which also helped. I will continue on them for 6 days and hopefully not have any more symptoms.
Keith  and I went to school assembly this morning & watched the chn sing & raise the flag. Later in the day Keith gave chapel to Grade 4.  He had a great time.

Keith playing with some of the kids

Keith at chapel

One of the many holes in the road.  Not looking forward to tomorrows drive as they are worse after rain.

 

While we were having dinner the rains came down and so we were unable to go to the Bible study group in one of the villages as was planned.
Tomorrow sadly we have to leave Yei but happily our family are coming with us to Arua, Uganda. We will stay there overnight and be picked up by our guide early in the morning who will drive us to our accom in Murchison National Park. Please continue to pray for Linda as her back is really giving her grief at present and long trips in planes & cars will be difficult.

Chessells in Africa:

Quieter day today!  Helen has some sort of "bug".  If I still have it tomorrow they will take blood and test for Typhoid.  A few others have this at present.  I was vaccinated so hoping it is not anything like that.  I spent a fair amount of time on my bed trying to rest--so hot & humid.  Thankful for mosquito nets to keep out the flies.  Keith hung out with the children doing school work and playing.  Late afternoon some German visitors arrived so we sat under the Mango trees chatting while the children played.  They don't seem to feel the heat like we do.
Shower time is between 6pm & 9pm if you want hot water so we all go to bed clean.  Necessary after a day on the compound where it is very dusty. We wear thongs outside & bare feet inside while the children prefer bare feet all the time so they are mega dirty.
The orphanage children have been on 2 days holiday this week - a Muslim holiday that the whole country recognises so the children have had lots of friends to play with the past 2 days.
The hospital has been very busy while we have been here with lots of natural births and Caesars, a few deaths which is always a sad occasion.  Not sure how one copes with that day after day!.  Graham is certainly in need of a holiday as are the rest of the family. Linda has been struggling with a bad back for a few days so please pray for her to be well enough to enjoy the holiday & the plane and car trips that we will be taking.

Ice cream treat for the orphans

Walking to Tukul town

Caleb hanging upside down on the rope ladder

Chessells in Africa

More new experiences today!
This morning we went for a walk outside the compound, through the jungle(which is very lush), along walking tracks to a village.  People everywhere want to shake hands.  The children come running out of their Tukuls(thatched roof homes) waving at us and yelling "kwaja"(white people).  Keith was happy to do the high-five thing with them-even the children want to shake your hand.  Truly fascinating walking in & out of different family areas seeing them cooking, gardening and playing.
Tonight we went into Yei for a roast goat dinner at the Presbyterian compound. We had 20 people including the hospital staff and the American team who are here at present. A beautiful area on the Yei River.  Driving home @ 7pm was crazy-just as busy as during the day, motorbikes, people, cars, music blaring, chn playing.  The roads seem even worse at night.

Josiah often wears this outfit day and night - a proud Hawk

Chessells in Africa:

Hot, Humid  and sticky today!
10am church service. The first hour was singing and dancing followed by a testimony and a 40min sermon. Afterwards they called people to the front to be prayed for and then called the students who are about to sit for exams and prayed for them.  These Africans have certainly got the rhythm happening.  Helen cuddled baby Eve for most of the service.  She is the baby in my earlier photos.
Linda and Graham had visitors for lunch today.  We all ate in the Pyat(eating house) together.  You may remember the American baby that had to be medi-vacced out last year well that was the visiting family so we got to see the famous Jordan who is believed to be the first white baby born in South Sudan. There were other visitors also from America who were on a mission  from their church.  They had travelled through 11 African countries finding a list of pressing needs to take back to their church to make a decision for support.  We are certainly meeting some very interesting people who are extremely mission minded.
Our afternoon was spent in a very leisurely way sitting around editing photos and reading(too hot for anything else). Late afternoon when it cooled down a little the boys played soccer, some of us had dance fun with the American team that is staying here and a short stroll around the property.
Darkness falls by 7pm and that is when we see the fireflies lighting the path. Amazing!

 

Chessells in Africa:

Saturday morning and we headed for Yei town along the bone shattering roads amidst the people, motor bikes, cars & trucks all trying to dodge the puddles and chasms in the road. What an amazing time!  Street stalls with everything from potty chairs to cows hoofs to fabric and beads. The food market was packed with all sorts of veges, many we had never seen before, "fresh fish" imported from Uganda most probably, dishes of flour, spices, peanut butter being made on the spot to mention a few.  You can pretty much get whatever you want if you are game.
Linda bought fabric for curtains in her new house and then we went to an Ethiopian restaurant for coffee and some local fare. Coffee was very strong!
Then the trip back to the compound. Oooh Aaah!
The weather has been very kind to us - a good time for us to visit.
In the afternoon we went over to the hospital to visit the new mums and babies I had seen born the day before.  What a joy!
God has blessed us with so many new experiences in such a short time as well as giving us a wonderful time with our loved ones here.  Life is harsh in this environment and the S. Sudanese are tough.  The children are just like children anywhere else who need lots of love and attention & we have been able to share this in so many ways.
Thankyou to so many people who are praying for us and the people on this compound. They are working so hard and sharing God's love in so many ways.  God is good!


Coffee in Yei
Playground games

 

Chessells in Africa:

What an amazing day I have had today! This morning I experienced clinic for little ones coming to get weighed and immunizations.  I cuddled babies of all sizes.  Some of them are soooo small.  Afterwards I attended a natural birth.  Baby got stuck so Dr Graham had to use some force.  She weighed 2 lb - a good size for here.  This afternoon I attended a Caesarian birth of twins. Both boys were living and screaming and mother appeared to be ok.  This is unusual for all 3 to survive.  What an education of God's amazing creation! Maybe I should come home and study nursing.  In Australia we would be shocked by the operating room being open for the flies to circulate in.  However the medical staff scrub and gown up for the procedure.
Keith has spent most of the day with the children.  They love having him around.
Very hot & humid today!

Chessells in Africa:

We found ourselves home schooling this morning-stretching our brains back to mathematic problems was rather difficult. Linda had to take a couple to the airport and pick up a group from town so for her it was a 4 hour round trip on "those" roads. After brain drain time we went out to the tramp for some serious jumping(the children that is).
There is an American team here at present so meal times are quite interesting.  Today we Aussies introduced them to vegemite & nutella.  The jury is still out on the vegemite! Most of the products here are from the states.  The visiting teams are very generous with their contributions.  We are even having really good coffee thanks to the US team.  Keith is having withdrawal symptons as there is very little meat eaten on the compound and if you saw how it was sold in town you would understand why.
Jas, Caleb & Josh are loving having us here and when we were out wandering amongst the children Josh basically attached himself to Keith's leg.  As you can imagine Keith is a real hit with the children, giving them high fives, low fives and thumb lifts.  Helen is enjoying cuddling the babies while the mamas work.  Yes we are blessed with all the housework & washing being done for us although Linda does like to cook occasionally and cooked us a delicious curry tonight which we shared with the hospital team.
It has been very humid today after the rain so life moves at a slow pace.

Chessells in Africa: Chessells in Africa:

The rains came down and the floods came up has new meaning here. It rained most of the night however the water soaks into the earth fairly quickly. Fortunately for us we have not yet experienced the very hot temps so we are weathering quite well.
Most of our time is spent with the children.  This morning it was schooling, maths & science--really stretching the brain. We are spending lots of time playing on the tramp and kicking the soccer ball.  The orphanage children play right in front of the house so we always have an audience.  Yesterday I heard "mama Helen" being yelled so I went over to a group of children who just want to touch white skins.  We laughed a lot and chatted about their day.  English is well known here by the children, not so by the workers.
The hospital is a little quieter today as the rain stops many from wandering in.  Graham is having a bit of a break although there was a Caesar late last night and a very tiny baby passed away after 10 days.  Life as usual here but harder for the whites to handle.
Meals are eaten together and mostly rice, beans and pineapple at present.

Waiting at airport Yei

Road to compound

Chessells in Africa:

Well  we made it and there at the Yei airport was our beautiful family waiting for us.  After getting our visas we made our way to the compound.  Linda has not been kidding as to how bad the roads are.  It is truly a bone shaking experience.  The road has so many people walking along it and motor scooters that Linda had to drive dodge em through them and the potholes. We drove through town to pick up some shopping.  Wall to wall people in the streets and Linda managed to wend her way through without hitting anyone. I don't think we will be driving here.
The children were as excited to see us as we were to see them.  We wandered around the compound meeting all the beautiful people, high fiving the children and even managing to cuddle a few gorgeous babies-one only a day old. I am so proud of my wonderful family and the way they have embraced the people here.  One could see that they are well loved.  smiling faces are everywhere. Keith is outside playing soccer with the boys at present and I am going out to join them. Love to all!

Chessells in Africa:

Mon 7^th Oct

We have arrived in Entebbe tonight and are travelling into Yei in the morning.  Excitement is rising!

The last couple of days in South Africa have been great.  What a beautiful city!  We did the open top bus tour and saw all the sights of Cape Town with a commentary—very enjoyable and informative. Our Table Mountain top experience was a little disappointing as there was much cloud over the mountain so the view was very restricted.

From Cape Town we hired a car and drove to Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope and on  to Hermanus—a gorgeous seaside town on the way to the Garden Route.  Time did not permit us going any further . A wonderful friend of Linda & Graham’s took us for an all day tour of the area. Even though it rained most of the day we saw how beautiful the countryside is. We also managed a whale watching tour in Hermanus-world renowned area for whales at this time of the year.

Our trip so far has been lots of fun.  We have met some fabulous and colourful characters, seen lots of amazing and spectacular sights, spent many hours in planes and airports and when we arrive in South Sudan tomorrow we will have been in 5 countries.  God is so good!!!

Chessells in Africa:

Mon 7^th Oct

We have arrived in Entebbe tonight and are travelling into Yei in the morning.  Excitement is rising!

The last couple of days in South Africa have been great.  What a beautiful city!  We did the open top bus tour and saw all the sights of Cape Town with a commentary—very enjoyable and informative. Our Table Mountain top experience was a little disappointing as there was much cloud over the mountain so the view was very restricted.

From Cape Town we hired a car and drove to Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope and on  to Hermanus—a gorgeous seaside town on the way to the Garden Route.  Time did not permit us going any further . A wonderful friend of Linda & Graham’s took us for an all day tour of the area. Even though it rained most of the day we saw how beautiful the countryside is. We also managed a whale watching tour in Hermanus-world renowned area for whales at this time of the year.

Our trip so far has been lots of fun.  We have met some fabulous and colourful characters, seen lots of amazing and spectacular sights, spent many hours in planes and airports and when we arrive in South Sudan tomorrow we will have been in 5 countries.  God is so good!!!

Chessells in Africa:

Cooler today! We are having to wear lots of layers to keep warm and raincoats as well.
We left Cape Town early yesterday travelling to Hermanus on the Garden Route ie. the South East coast via Cape Point & the Cape of Good Hope.  Such a beautiful part of SA. The roads are quite good so driving is no problem.  They drive on the left so just like home.
Cape Point is spectacular!  Although the weather was overcast we did not experience the real blue of the oceans we could still experience the greatness of God's creation.
Today we are being picked up by a friend of Graham and Linda's to take us on a tour of the area.  What a blessing!

Chessells in Africa: Chessells in Africa:

Thurs 3^rd Oct

Sorry for failing to update for a couple of days but yesterday we were travelling all day.  We left our rented place at 8:45am, said goodbye to K & Zoe, driving via the Lighthouse school for a worship time, then on to see the new land with S where we were picked up by a driver who took us via the scenic route to the airport. This gave us the opportunity to see South Mauritius having spent the last 6 days in the north.  Some wild and rugged beaches!

For the rest of the day we were in airports or in the air making our way to Cape Town.  We arrived at our accomm around 12:15am tired and exhausted. Our landlord had to give us the whole run of the place in minute detail so I collapsed into bed about 12:45am & Keith 1:15am after he spent an hour trying to log into the internet(didn’t work, hence no update).

Today we have spent time seeing beautiful Cape Town by bus. It certainly is a gorgeous part of the world. We made it to the top of Table Mt however the view was somewhat compromised by the cloud that sits there(part of the legend of the mountain).  We spend some time wandering around the waterfront which was inspired by Sydney’s Darling Harbour precinct. So much going on it was fun! One highlight was watching a group of kinder age children dancing in the main square to an African band-amazing natural rhythm.

Our challenge tonight is to find an internet café so we can send this update.

We did it! New learning experience every day.

Chessells in Africa:

Chessells in Africa: Mauritius has been fabulous!  We have seen so much, met lots of people, enjoyed new food experiences and rested "sort of". Unfortunately Keith is having a bit of trouble with his back, not sure from prolonged plane travel, different bed, standing too long, sitting too long..... We are hoping that tomorrow he is feeling better as we are planning to take a half day taxi ride to the airport taking in some of the sights we have not been able to get to in the past few days.
Today Keith & I went for an early morning walk along the beach. The wind had changed direction over night so there were waves breaking across the reef. Broken coral is prolific so thongs need to be worn to protect the feet. We watched the workers raking the beach in front of the resorts and setting up the sun lounges. Later  K drove us through Port  Louis to MBTI where Keith gave a short devotional.  The roads are manic, cars, trucks, buses, motor scooters and people all vying for their bit of the road. Afterwards we caught up with a friend for lunch.
Next stop South Africa tomorrow night.